Ultra-Trace Mercury Analysis
KAR was the first in Michigan and one of the first in the country to offer this service. KAR installed a PS Analytical Millennium Merlin Ultra-Trace Mercury Analyzer system in a Class 10,000 clean room in April 2000, in anticipation of upcoming regulations designed to protect the Great Lakes fresh water supply. Today we continue to be the leader and the most experienced, having analyzed over 15,000 environmental samples, averaging approximately 200 investigative samples per month. Compliant with EPA Protocols 1631, 245.7 and 7474, our Method Detection Limit (MDL) is 0.01 parts per trillion. That's 3 to 4 orders of magnitude more sensitive than the traditional Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption method that is typically used for mercury analysis, and is sensitive enough to comply with the 0.5 parts per trillion reporting limit which is common on discharge permits.
We highly recommend that KAR perform the sampling because sample contaminating (false-positive test results) are common with untrained and improperly equipped field sample personnel. The EPA analytical method suggests lab techs wear a face mask if they have mercury-amalgam dental work, a clear indication of test sensitivity and ease of sample contamination. Based upon our experience where KAR performed the on-site sampling, we have seen outstanding performance with regards to no contamination and false positive problems. However, you can do the sampling yourself by requesting our KC200 sampling SOP with your bottle order. We maintain over 350 single-purpose, certified-clean Teflon sample containers for your sampling requirements.
The expense, training, and experience needed to correctly operate an Ultra-Trace Mercury laboratory is substantial. Regulators take mercury very seriously. We have seen a single bad data point costing thousands of dollars in subsequent resampling and permit changes. You can always find a cheaper laboratory but is it worth the risk?